The occasion calls for it. (what
with valentines day only 2 days away). It’s probably high time that I introduce
this most important being in my life; my one true love. His name is Mylo, and he’s the sweetest,
cutest, most adorable love of my life.

The tiny streaks of the sun’s rays
were just starting to peek from the gray clouds of the night. The cool mist of
the previous night’s breeze still suspended in the air; the mild scent of dawn
lingering. It was early morning. New year in the lunar calendar; and my baby,
Mylo, was going berserk trying to tear his crib down, so excited to eat, run,
play around, and get away from his house and go crazy. It’s his routine. It
would always drive me nuts. For an early riser like me, he’s up even earlier –
at an ungodly hour of 5am.

     A lot of famous celebrities would have pets dolled up in the
most glamorous ways that I would often doubt if they even scoop their cutie
little doggie babies’ poop and wipe its butt after. Having a pet (well, it
doesn’t sit well with me to call my baby a pet), is high maintenance. But it
was never a chore for me.

     It took me 4 months or so to find the perfect baby to take
home. I read tons of ‘puppy 101’ books, went to different breeders, watched dog
whisperer on animal planet over and over (while running on treadmill of course),
and even obsessed about the jack Russell terrier in the Alpo commercial. I
wanted a baby that’s cuddly and sweet, and loyal ONLY TO ME. I wanted a big
male dog that has the temperament of a beast but would answer to my call with a
wagging tail and a big wet kiss on my cheek. So that pretty much discarded shih
tzu, yorkie, bichon frise, Labrador retriever, and all the other famous breeds
that we often see on tv. And so came my chowchow, Mylo.

     I got his name from an old soap (sunset beach if anybody
ever saw it-around early 90’s) that I used to be addicted to (diba sheri?
Hahaha!). It was initially MILO but this groomer from the veterinary clinic
would always call him Mee-lo, Mee-lo and it irritated me tremendously, so I had
to alter the spelling a bit to make sure they call my baby right. So I ended up
with Mylo.

     Wherever we go, we’d always hear oooohs and aaaahhs
following us. A lot of times, we would be stopped to have his picture taken by
total strangers (minsan kasama ako so kelangan pretty din ako when walking him
hehe!). Everybody loves Mylo. They go crazy over him. “he’s just like a live teddy bear!” “Can we
touch him?” “How old is he?” “Ohhh, he’s soooo adorable!” EXACTLY the way I
wanted it – people going crazy over him, but could never get near him cause he
has a bad temper and would only answer to me. So, I would often tell them, with
the nicest sweetest smile, and a few kisses on Mylo’s head (I often do this in
the vet clinic), “touch him at your own risk”.

     LOYALTY.  Just like
any other relationships, (human, that is, hehehe!!) loyalty tops my list of
relationship essentials. While it may be easy to connect, and to fall for any
human being, just like the way we may fall for the cutest shih tzu, or the
sweetest Labrador, there is not enough ground to start a relationship that
could stand the test of time, or trials that could weather a connection that
has been carefully built, without this secret ingredient. Loyalty is
hard-earned; not just handed on a silver platter. Without this, everything will
just be a waste of time.

     It took a lot of bath time before Mylo would have me clean
his ears, clip and file his nails, touch his tail, and forcible open his mouth
to take the newspaper he loves to chew, out of his mouth. It took 2 weeks worth
of giving him his favorite treats (it was wheat bread then, pero ngayon sawa na
siya) for him to finally sit still while he lets me tie his bib around his neck
before eating. It took me 1 month of persuading him, with my sweeeetest voice,
saying “lie down Mylo….good boy!” before he’d quietly lie on his side and let
me brush the day’s worth of tangles out of his baby soft hair. And in all those times, I’ve met frustrations
and even doubts, as to whether I did make the right decision to get a baby to
love deeply, knowing he wouldn’t really be around for more than a decade with me. I’ve wiped his pee off our floor countless
times before he finally learned to pee on a wee pad. He’d pull my jammies every
morning, steal my slippers, nip my ankle, and literally pounce on me with his
heavy body just to demand that I feed him not a second less. And with all the
investments I made on him, time, sweat, frustrations (Especialy when he turned
bratty na talaga at naghunger strike when I started him on solid food!), I only
earned one thing….loyalty. And it’s probably enough. We’ve built a relationship
that has sturdy foundation that no amount of bribing (even of treats) could
destroy. That’s my baby Mylo. He only answers to me. =)

     We do not have to listen to different support groups, or cry
over sad love stories, or listen to how people lament on their lost love
through tormented love songs to know that love is not something you give
easily. Love, in general, is earned; then it grows deep with each difficulty
that you both share and surpass. Love is
not something you say on an everyday basis, but something you make others feel
with every deed you do. Mylo didn’t need words to say but I know he loves me
with his life; and I would always watch him sleep in front of the electric fan
before I go to sleep, touch his head and kiss him goodnight. He knows that I
love him too without understanding the words ‘I love you’..

     So what am I doing here romanticizing my relationship with
my 16 weeker now 25 pounder baby? Wala lang. The whole point is for everybody
to know and learn that although human relationships are a lot complicated, as
long as you speak with your heart, and you connect with your soul, there is no
need to say ‘I love you’. You just FEEL.

 
Mylo wishes to greet my blog readers a happy valentine’s day!